Explosive



Patented Nov. 7, 1939 EXPLOSIVE Joseph Simon, Chicago, Ill., assignor of one-half to Daniel Hewitt, Chicago, II!

No Drawing. Application February 23, 1938, Serial No. 192,069

5 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in explosives and has for its primary object the provision and production of an explosive of great efliciency and capable of economical production.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists'of the explosive and the method of producing the same hereinafter described and claimed.

In carrying on the method, a body of ordinary cotton is first ignited, preferably in the open atmosphere, and permitted to burn until just before the flame goes out, and while the fibre on the inside of the cotton body is still unconsumed by the flame. Then the flame is smothered so as to prevent further or complete combustion of the cotton. The smothering is preferably accomplished by placing the flaming cotton in or under a closed receptacle.

Or if desired, the cotton may be placed in a receptacle and ignited, and just before the combustion of the cotton is complete, the air eliminated or excluded from said receptacle, causing smothering of the burning cotton.

The product thus produced may be used instead of willow charcoal for making gunpowder in the usual or ordinary way.

A more efiicient and powerful explosive can be made however by taking the charred cotton while still hot and placing it in a mixture of 75% of sulphuric acid and 25% of nitric acid. This mixture is permitted to stand for twenty-four hours after the time the charred cotton will be nitro-generated or converted into nitro-cellulose. It is then removed from the acid bath, washed in pure water and then washed in a weak solution of caustic soda until the acids are thoroughly neutralized. The mixture is then dried and broken into powder form. It is then mixed with potassium or sodium nitrate and sulphur in the pro- 5 fore do not wish to be limited to the precise de- 15 tails disclosed, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An explosive comprising charred cotton treated with nitric and sulphuric acid and mixed with potassium nitrate.

2. An ingredient for explosives consisting of incompletely charred cotton treated with nitric 25 acid.

3. An ingredient for explosives consisting of incompletely charred cotton treated with nitric and sulphuric acids.

4. An explosive comprising incompletely charred cotton treated with nitric acid and mixed with a nitrate.

5. An explosive comprising incompletely charred cotton treated with nitric and sulphuric acids and mixed with a nitrate.

JOSEPH SIMON.

incompletely 20 

